Darling-Hammond, L. (2010) The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
1 Scope of Study
I read the book, The Flat World and Education; How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future by Linda Darling-Hammond. Darling-Hammond has written a number of books and articles on education policy and practice. Her work focuses on school restructuring, teacher education, and educational equity.
Our world is becoming increasingly "flat" and our nation needs to compete at a global level. In the book The Flat World and Education; How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future, Darling-Hammond discusses how there is a significant achievement gap between the U.S. and other developed nations. Darling-Hammond presents research and gaps which prove that this gap is due to the inequity of U.S. schools, specifically the schools serving low-income students and students of color. The future of the U.S. depends upon the achievement of these students.
This book "summarizes and analyzes important research, theory, and practice related to the education of ethnic, racial, cultural, and linguistic groups". The goal of this book was written to "mobilize the nation to action" and "present a blueprint for reforming educational policy, schooling, and teacher education". In order to re-establish itself as a global leader, the United States must implement specific policies and school reforms specifically addressing the inequity in education.
Darling-Hammond started her career as a public school teacher and is currently a professor of education at Stanford University. She was an education advisor to President Obama's presidential campaign. Darling-Hammond may also have been among the candidates for the Secretary of Education in the Obama administration. She is married and has three children.
I read the following chapters of The Flat World and Education; How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future:
Chapter 1: The Flat World, Educational Inequality, and America's Future
Chapter 7: Doing What Matters Most: Developing Competent Teachers
Chapter 8: Organizing for Success: From Inequality to Equality
Chapter 9: Policy for Quality and Equality: Toward Genuine School Reform
I chose the above chapters 1) to gain a solid understanding of the issues that we face as individuals and as a country and 2) to understand how these problems came to exist. I also wanted to learn about what actions are necessary to resolve the problems identified and what factors need to be considered when constructing a solution. The chapters I chose provide solid research and data to answer the guiding question for this project, "What are some critical ideas that policy makers should consider when developing their principles for school reform?"
The knowledge I gained from the portions of the book that I choose will contribute to the class's understanding of schools, teaching, and school reform by answering the following key questions:
What does the US need to establish a purposeful, equitable education system that will prepare all our children for success in a knowledge-based society?
Has the U.S. ever been successful in closing the achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic statuses? What happened to those efforts?
What are the common factors of high performing school systems?
How can we enhance the professional nature of teaching?
How can we restructure schools to personalize education and develop collaborative learning structures to produce significantly higher achievement gains?
How can we allocate resources equitably, with additional resources often going to the schools where students' needs are greater?
What kind of supportive environment must 21st century schools provide so that children can come to school ready to learn?
Where has NCLB been successful? Where has it failed? What is needed for NCLB to succeed?
What should be the responsibilities of States, School Districts, Schools, and Teachers in a school system?
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 (1-26) The Flat World, Educational Inequality, and America's Future
Our world is becoming increasingly "flat" and nations needs to compete at a global level. Currently, there is a large achievement gap between the U.S. and other developed nations. This gap is due to the inequity of U.S. schools, specifically the schools serving low-income students and students of color. The future of the U.S. depends upon the achievement of these students.
Reform efforts of the past have proven to be successful in narrowing the achievement gap in our nation. In 1965, The Elementary and Secondary Assistance Act stated that "where a child grows up should not determine where he or she ends up." And, there were increased investments in low-income schools during the Great Society's War on Poverty during the mid to late 1970s. These reform efforts which focused on the education of low-income and minority students paid off and the achievement gap was narrowed. However, during the Reagan years, the focus was switched to outcomes instead of inputs and much of the progress gained was lost. If the rate of progress had continued, "the achievement gap would have been fully closed by the beginning of the 21st century."
Schools must be funded centrally and equally with additional resources going to the schools where the needs are greater (e.g. large numbers of English Language Learners, high food and healthcare expenses, before and after school programs, etc.). In addition, in order for a system of education to consistently work well, the following features must be present: "1) secure housing, food, and healthcare 2) supportive early learning environments 3) equitably funded schools which provide equitable access to high-quality teaching 4) well prepared and well-supported teachers and leaders 5) standards, curriculum, and assessments focused on 21st century learning goals 6) schools organized for in-depth student and teacher learning." Unless these features are present in all educational systems, education can not be considered equitable.
The author believes that we need to enhance the professional nature of teaching and focus investments in teacher preparation and development. Initial teacher preparation has been shown to affect a teachers effectiveness and their retention. Ongoing development ensures that teachers have opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills needed to be effective in the classroom. Ongoing development for teachers must include: high quality teacher education (includes extensive clinical training); mentoring for all beginners (reduced teaching load / shared planning time); on-going professional training (includes visiting other classrooms); leadership development; and equitable, competitive salaries.
Teachers with a strong teacher education have been shown to respond to students' experiences and, in turn, are more effective in the classroom. "When effective teachers of students of color develop curriculum, they draw on cultural references that connect to students' experiences and identities, honor their families and communities, and provide a message of inclusion to all students." This has a positive effect on schools with diverse populations. In addition, teachers must be prepared to respond to a students' needs, and learning approaches.
Chapter 8 (234 - 277) Organizing for Success: From Inequality to Quality
The bureaucratic school created at the turn of the 20th century was not organized to meet the needs of today. Teaching in the 1900s was very routine and required little professional skill. Schools of today must focus on "active learning calling for higher-order thinking, extended writing, and products that resemble how knowledge is used in the world outside of school." This shift has caused many schools to rethink how they are organized.
"Research has shown that schools which produce significantly higher achievement gains, that were also more equitably distributed, adopted practices which include: 1) creating smaller units within schools; 2) keeping students together over multiple years; 3) forming teaching teams that share students and plan together; 4) ensuring common planning time for teachers; 5) involving staff in school wide problem solving; 6) involving parents in their children's education and; 7) fostering cooperative learning." A growing number of urban schools serving low-income students of color and new immigrants have redesigned school structures and demonstrated that they can graduate 80% of their students.
Some schools have created an effective support system to enhance student learning. For example, the community school model combines high quality K-12 schooling with vital services such as health care, preschool, and before and after school care.
In order for schools to adopt new practices so that they will be more successful for all of their students, districts must also be redesigned. "Districts need to learn how to diagnose, address problems, and invest in resources to improve them." In addition, districts must ensure that when there is a choice of schools, that schools recruit and admit students without "regard to race, class, or prior academic achievement, both to preserve the possibilities for integrated, common schools and to ensure that some schools do not become enclaves of privilege while others remain dumping grounds."
Chapter 9 (278 - 328) Policy for Quality and Equality: Toward Genuine School Reform
A priority of NCLB is for individual schools to raise test scores on state mandated tests. In order to accomplish this, schools are focusing on recalling pieces of data rather than "focusing on applying and analyzing knowledge to new situations." The focus on state testing has caused the US scores and rankings on international assessments to decline. The countries which do well on international testings, generally "have leaner standards; teach fewer topics more deeply each year; focus more on inquiry skills, reasoning skills, and applications of knowledge, rather than mere coverage; and have a more thoughtful sequence of expectations based on developmental learning progression."
NCLB holds the school accountable for test performance without recognizing that many failing schools are underfunded or understaffed. "Accountability should encompass how a school system hires, evaluates and supports its staff; how it makes decisions; how it ensures that the best available knowledge will be acquired and used; how it evaluates its own functioning; and how it provides safeguards for student welfare." If the school is still getting insufficient test results, the state should provide resources to evaluate the causes of school failure and, together with the district and the school, develop a plan to correct them.
NCLB has drawn attention to the need for higher learning standards and greater equity in educational outcomes. However, in order for NCLB to be successful, the U.S. needs to: 1) end the curriculum wars ("content" people vs. "skills" people); 2) develop standards that are well disciplined (limited and carefully chosen); 3) develop useful curriculum guidance; and 4) develop assessment systems that prioritize quality of information and it usefulness for teaching and learning over actual test scores.
Top-down support and bottom-up reform are needed. Top down support includes a well-functioning and learning system at the FEDERAL level including:
Meaningful learning goals - standards, curriculum, and assessments should remain at the state level but be supported by federally developed research, development and expert resources. This enables innovation and improvement.
Intelligent, reciprocal accountability systems
Equitable and adequate resources - would require state systems provide comparable per pupil funding, adjusted for differentials in cost of living and pupil needs
Strong professional standards and supports for all educators - including fully subsidized, high-quality preparation, mentoring, and professional development throughout the career
Schools organized for teacher learning - teams of professionals working together; regular time to plan and learn together
States, School Districts, Schools, and Teachers and other staff would have a system of shared responsibility which include:
STATES would be responsible for providing sufficient resources, for ensuring well-qualified personnel, and for adopting standards for student learning
SCHOOL DISTRICTS would be responsible for distributing school resources equitably, hiring and supporting well-qualified teachers and administrators (and removing those who are not competent), and encouraging practices that support high-quality teaching and learning.
SCHOOLS would be accountable for creating a productive environment for learning, assessing the effectiveness of their practices, and helping staff and parents communicate with and learn from one another.
TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF would be accountable for identifying and promoting the needs of individual students as well as meeting professional standards of practice. Together with colleagues, they would continually assess and revise their strategies to better meet the needs of students.
SUMMARY
In order for the United States to be competitive at a global level, educational reforms must take place which address the inequity of American schools. Competent teachers must be developed, schools must rethink how they are organized, and policies must be put in place to promote "top-down support" and "bottom-up reform." Until these items are addressed, the US will not close the existing achievement gap and will not be able to successfully compete in our 'flat' world.
1 Scope of Study
I read the book, The Flat World and Education; How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future by Linda Darling-Hammond. Darling-Hammond has written a number of books and articles on education policy and practice. Her work focuses on school restructuring, teacher education, and educational equity.
Our world is becoming increasingly "flat" and our nation needs to compete at a global level. In the book The Flat World and Education; How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future, Darling-Hammond discusses how there is a significant achievement gap between the U.S. and other developed nations. Darling-Hammond presents research and gaps which prove that this gap is due to the inequity of U.S. schools, specifically the schools serving low-income students and students of color. The future of the U.S. depends upon the achievement of these students.
This book "summarizes and analyzes important research, theory, and practice related to the education of ethnic, racial, cultural, and linguistic groups". The goal of this book was written to "mobilize the nation to action" and "present a blueprint for reforming educational policy, schooling, and teacher education". In order to re-establish itself as a global leader, the United States must implement specific policies and school reforms specifically addressing the inequity in education.
Darling-Hammond started her career as a public school teacher and is currently a professor of education at Stanford University. She was an education advisor to President Obama's presidential campaign. Darling-Hammond may also have been among the candidates for the Secretary of Education in the Obama administration. She is married and has three children.
I read the following chapters of The Flat World and Education; How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future:
I chose the above chapters 1) to gain a solid understanding of the issues that we face as individuals and as a country and 2) to understand how these problems came to exist. I also wanted to learn about what actions are necessary to resolve the problems identified and what factors need to be considered when constructing a solution. The chapters I chose provide solid research and data to answer the guiding question for this project, "What are some critical ideas that policy makers should consider when developing their principles for school reform?"
The knowledge I gained from the portions of the book that I choose will contribute to the class's understanding of schools, teaching, and school reform by answering the following key questions:
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 (1-26)
The Flat World, Educational Inequality, and America's Future
Our world is becoming increasingly "flat" and nations needs to compete at a global level. Currently, there is a large achievement gap between the U.S. and other developed nations. This gap is due to the inequity of U.S. schools, specifically the schools serving low-income students and students of color. The future of the U.S. depends upon the achievement of these students.
Reform efforts of the past have proven to be successful in narrowing the achievement gap in our nation. In 1965, The Elementary and Secondary Assistance Act stated that "where a child grows up should not determine where he or she ends up." And, there were increased investments in low-income schools during the Great Society's War on Poverty during the mid to late 1970s. These reform efforts which focused on the education of low-income and minority students paid off and the achievement gap was narrowed. However, during the Reagan years, the focus was switched to outcomes instead of inputs and much of the progress gained was lost. If the rate of progress had continued, "the achievement gap would have been fully closed by the beginning of the 21st century."
Schools must be funded centrally and equally with additional resources going to the schools where the needs are greater (e.g. large numbers of English Language Learners, high food and healthcare expenses, before and after school programs, etc.). In addition, in order for a system of education to consistently work well, the following features must be present: "1) secure housing, food, and healthcare 2) supportive early learning environments 3) equitably funded schools which provide equitable access to high-quality teaching 4) well prepared and well-supported teachers and leaders 5) standards, curriculum, and assessments focused on 21st century learning goals 6) schools organized for in-depth student and teacher learning." Unless these features are present in all educational systems, education can not be considered equitable.
Chapter 7 (194 - 233)
Doing What Matters Most: Developing Competent Teaching
The author believes that we need to enhance the professional nature of teaching and focus investments in teacher preparation and development. Initial teacher preparation has been shown to affect a teachers effectiveness and their retention. Ongoing development ensures that teachers have opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills needed to be effective in the classroom. Ongoing development for teachers must include: high quality teacher education (includes extensive clinical training); mentoring for all beginners (reduced teaching load / shared planning time); on-going professional training (includes visiting other classrooms); leadership development; and equitable, competitive salaries.
Teachers with a strong teacher education have been shown to respond to students' experiences and, in turn, are more effective in the classroom. "When effective teachers of students of color develop curriculum, they draw on cultural references that connect to students' experiences and identities, honor their families and communities, and provide a message of inclusion to all students." This has a positive effect on schools with diverse populations. In addition, teachers must be prepared to respond to a students' needs, and learning approaches.
Chapter 8 (234 - 277)
Organizing for Success: From Inequality to Quality
The bureaucratic school created at the turn of the 20th century was not organized to meet the needs of today. Teaching in the 1900s was very routine and required little professional skill. Schools of today must focus on "active learning calling for higher-order thinking, extended writing, and products that resemble how knowledge is used in the world outside of school." This shift has caused many schools to rethink how they are organized.
"Research has shown that schools which produce significantly higher achievement gains, that were also more equitably distributed, adopted practices which include: 1) creating smaller units within schools; 2) keeping students together over multiple years; 3) forming teaching teams that share students and plan together; 4) ensuring common planning time for teachers; 5) involving staff in school wide problem solving; 6) involving parents in their children's education and; 7) fostering cooperative learning." A growing number of urban schools serving low-income students of color and new immigrants have redesigned school structures and demonstrated that they can graduate 80% of their students.
Some schools have created an effective support system to enhance student learning. For example, the community school model combines high quality K-12 schooling with vital services such as health care, preschool, and before and after school care.
In order for schools to adopt new practices so that they will be more successful for all of their students, districts must also be redesigned. "Districts need to learn how to diagnose, address problems, and invest in resources to improve them." In addition, districts must ensure that when there is a choice of schools, that schools recruit and admit students without "regard to race, class, or prior academic achievement, both to preserve the possibilities for integrated, common schools and to ensure that some schools do not become enclaves of privilege while others remain dumping grounds."
Chapter 9 (278 - 328)
Policy for Quality and Equality: Toward Genuine School Reform
A priority of NCLB is for individual schools to raise test scores on state mandated tests. In order to accomplish this, schools are focusing on recalling pieces of data rather than "focusing on applying and analyzing knowledge to new situations." The focus on state testing has caused the US scores and rankings on international assessments to decline. The countries which do well on international testings, generally "have leaner standards; teach fewer topics more deeply each year; focus more on inquiry skills, reasoning skills, and applications of knowledge, rather than mere coverage; and have a more thoughtful sequence of expectations based on developmental learning progression."
NCLB holds the school accountable for test performance without recognizing that many failing schools are underfunded or understaffed. "Accountability should encompass how a school system hires, evaluates and supports its staff; how it makes decisions; how it ensures that the best available knowledge will be acquired and used; how it evaluates its own functioning; and how it provides safeguards for student welfare." If the school is still getting insufficient test results, the state should provide resources to evaluate the causes of school failure and, together with the district and the school, develop a plan to correct them.
NCLB has drawn attention to the need for higher learning standards and greater equity in educational outcomes. However, in order for NCLB to be successful, the U.S. needs to: 1) end the curriculum wars ("content" people vs. "skills" people); 2) develop standards that are well disciplined (limited and carefully chosen); 3) develop useful curriculum guidance; and 4) develop assessment systems that prioritize quality of information and it usefulness for teaching and learning over actual test scores.
Top-down support and bottom-up reform are needed. Top down support includes a well-functioning and learning system at the FEDERAL level including:
- Meaningful learning goals - standards, curriculum, and assessments should remain at the state level but be supported by federally developed research, development and expert resources. This enables innovation and improvement.
- Intelligent, reciprocal accountability systems
- Equitable and adequate resources - would require state systems provide comparable per pupil funding, adjusted for differentials in cost of living and pupil needs
- Strong professional standards and supports for all educators - including fully subsidized, high-quality preparation, mentoring, and professional development throughout the career
- Schools organized for teacher learning - teams of professionals working together; regular time to plan and learn together
States, School Districts, Schools, and Teachers and other staff would have a system of shared responsibility which include:SUMMARY
In order for the United States to be competitive at a global level, educational reforms must take place which address the inequity of American schools. Competent teachers must be developed, schools must rethink how they are organized, and policies must be put in place to promote "top-down support" and "bottom-up reform." Until these items are addressed, the US will not close the existing achievement gap and will not be able to successfully compete in our 'flat' world.